Of White Eyes and Roses
by silentsorrow666
Summary: Sakura recieves a bouquet of pink roses from a secret admirer. Who is this mystery man? bad summary. the story is better NejiXSaku, ShikaXIno Lemon....:D
1. Chapter 1

_12:00 P.M. February 10th in the lunchroom_

" EWWW. WHAT IS THAT THING?!?"

"It's just my lunch, calm down."

"How can I calm down Shikamaru? That looks SO GROSS!"

"Geez Ino, it's only soup and crackers. Oh and macaroni salad." Shikamaru replied.

"Ewwww…" remarked Ino.

_Meanwhile at a table nearby…_

"Geez. She is so immature." Sakura Haruno said rolling her eyes.

"You're just saying that because you're jealous of her. Come on Sakura, admit it." Naruto Uzumaki replied.

"AM NOT!" Sakura insisted. " Nobody's jealous of her."

"Right" Naruto said sarcastically. " Everybody knows you hate each other because you both like Sasuke. Geez, why does everything revolve around Sasuke?"

"Because he's SO DREAMY.." Sakura said with a love struck expression on her face.

" You know, I'll still go out with you Sakura." Naruto said.

"NO Naruto." Sakura said annoyed. "How many times do I have to say no?"

They sat in silence for a while. Sakura was enjoying her lunch of sandwich, apple and glass of water. Naruto had already finished eating so he watched her for a little while. She had long, light pink hair that fell over her shoulders and light green eyes that a lot of girls were jealous of. She noticed him staring at her and decided to start a conversation.

"So, how's training going?' She asked.

"Pretty well, how about you?" he replied

" Same as normal. Yesterday I was.." She stopped abruptly. Every other girl in the lunchroom stopped talking at the same time and got a love struck expression on their faces. Naruto wondered why so he turned around and saw the reason for the girls' behavior.

Sasuke Uchiha stood in the doorway. He was wearing a heavy coat and his cheeks were red from the cold. No matter how what he was wearing he looked amazing. If you didn't know him, you would have thought he was a god. Heck, even if you did know him you still thought he was a god. He was the most popular guy at school. At least with the girl population anyway. All the girls watched him walk past their table to Naruto and Sakura's table.

"Are you almost done? Kakashi-sensei told me to get you because class starts in twenty minutes and he needs our help."

"What does he need us to do?" Sakura asked

"Not sure, he just said he needed our help." Sasuke replied

"Ok." Sakura said. She stood up and put her coat on. "Let's go" Naruto put his coat on and they left.

_12:50 Kakashi's library_

"Ok, which comes first again? C or F?" Naruto asked.

"C" Sakura replied. " I can't believe Kakashi-Sensei is having us alphabetize his romance novels. There's just so many!"

"Yea I know. I've alphabetized at least sixty by now." Sasuke added

"Who knew he liked manga this much?" Naruto said.

"Ok, only thirty more to go." Sakura said relieved. "Sasuke could you pass me Come, Come, Paradise?

"Here you go." Sasuke replied "Naruto, did you put Make Out Paradise by Malibu Paradise like I told you to?

"Yes I did. Did you see where I put Paradise Pirates?" Naruto said with a puzzled look on his face.

" I put that one away. Good only one more to go. Where should I put Cancun Paradise?" Sakura asked.

" Between Bye, Bye Paradise and Come, Come Paradise." Sasuke replied

" Good we're done. Let's go to class." Sakura said.

Kakashi walked into the library.

" Good job team. I informed Iruka that you were helping me and that you would be a little late. You may go." Kakashi said.

"Thank you Kakashi-sensei." Sakura said.

Then Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura walked to class.

_1:15 Iruka's classroom_

" So you've finally decided to join us!" Iruka remarked when Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura walked into the classroom.

"Sorry for being late." Sakura said

"Find a seat so I can continue teaching please." Iruka replied slightly annoyed.

There were only three seats left. One was surrounded by girls, (obviously meant for Sasuke), and there were two next to each other in the back. Naruto went up and sat in the seat surrounded by the girls and Sakura and Sasuke sat in the back. Sakura took her coat off and hung it on the back of her chair. During class, everybody was doing something. Sakura was paying attention to class (and every so often stopping to stare at Sasuke), Naruto was screwing around, Sasuke was deep in thought, Choji was eating, and Shikamaru was asleep. All the other girls were staring at Sasuke and all the other guys were thinking about how they wanted to be him. It was a normal day. Iruka rambled on about the same boring stuff he always rambled on about for the first half hour of class. History, history and more history. As soon as that class was over, everybody rushed out of the classroom to their last class of the day, P.E., with Guy-sensei.

_2:00 Large Gym _

"OK! Today in class, we will be reviewing how to square dance! The dance of youth! Right, Lee?" Guy yelled over the students' loud voices.

" Right Guy-sensei!" Lee replied.

"Are we seriously square dancing today?" Sakura said annoyed.

"Yes we are, Ms. Haruno! Now I will assign you your partners!" Guy said in reply.

"Lee and Tenten!" Guy announced. "Ino and Shikamaru!" "Naruto and Hinata!" "Sasuke and Haku!" "Sakura and Neji!" "Gaara and Temari!"

"WHAT?????" Sasuke said. "Why am I stuck with the he-she?"

"Hey! Shut up and dance!" Haku said

"…."Sasuke and Haku stepped on the dance floor, followed by all the other partners. Guy started the music and everybody started dancing.

"One, two, three come on! You know these steps!" Guy instructed.

"Why does it have to be square dancing?" Sasuke mumbled.

" It could be worse, you know.." Naruto remarked.

"Not to me, it couldn't." Sasuke replied.

"You could be dancing with Itachi or one of your fan girls." Naruto stated.

"Ewwww…" Sasuke said disgusted.

" Come on you guys! You know these steps! Just dance them!" Sakura said annoyed.

"Yes, _Mother.."_ Naruto and Sasuke replied in unison.

" Oh, just shut up and dance!" Haku said loudly to Sasuke.

"Geez, Shikamaru! You really are a bad dancer!" Ino said very loudly.

"Sorry, it's just that dancing is so _troublesome_!" Shikamaru replied.

"Yeah whatever. It being troublesome has nothing to do with you stepping on my feet every few steps!" Ino yelled.

"Oh brother.." Shikamaru sighed.

"Wow Neji, you really know what you're doing!" Sakura said amazed.

"Yeah, you wouldn't expect that of me would you? No. The Hyuga could never be a good dancer. Thanks for letting me know what you're thinking." Neji said quite annoyed.

"That's not what I meant…." Sakura replied.

"No it's never what you meant. Is class almost over?" Neji said anxiously.

"Yes, the bell will ring in about a minute or two. Why?" Sakura asked confused.

"Oh, no reason." Neji said staring at the clock.

"THAT'S ENOUGH FOR TODAY!" Guy yelled stopping the music. "GREAT JOB TODAY!" _RIINNNNGGGGGG… _"CLASS DISMISSED! HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND! HAVE A GREAT VALENTINE'S DAY!"

_3:30 Konoha Park_

"Unnnn. Why did he have to remind me about Valentine's Day? I don't have something for Sasuke yet!" Sakura said to herself as she walked down the dirt path separating the park. It was a beautiful afternoon compared to the weather in the morning. Spring had decided to come early this year. The sun still shone brightly as the day moved slowly forward. Sakura was on her way to meet her team for their daily training. When she arrived, Naruto and Sasuke had already started.

"Whoa! Kakashi-sensei's not here yet! You know how he gets when you start before he gets here!" Sakura interrupted their sparring match.

"Who cares about him? He's the one who's always late!" Naruto complained.

"Who's always late?" Kakashi asked.

"Nobody sensei, they weren't talking about anybody important." Sakura said

"YOU'RE LATE!" Naruto yelled. "WHAT'S YOUR EXCUSE TODAY?"" Well, on my way, I took a wrong turn and ended up at the opposite side of town.." Kakashi started.

" You wouldn't have happened to stop at a certain _bookstore_ on the way…huh sensei?" Naruto asked rudely.

"That is none of your business. Now let's get started for the day. Today, Guy's team has agreed to train with you three so we have even pairs. Ok, Naruto, you will be fighting Tenten, Sasuke, you will be fighting Lee, and Sakura, you will be fighting Neji. Ok. When they arrive, you may begin." Kakashi explained.

"We have arrived!"

Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke turned around to see Guy and his team standing at the edge of the clearing.

"Ok team, you know who you're fighting. Go to it!" Kakashi said.

Everybody started their sparring matches. The matches went on for 30 minutes and then Kakashi stopped them and announced the winner.

" You all know these matches don't count but it's still fun to have a winner. The winner of match one is Naruto, match two, Lee, and match three, Neji. Good job today. Now, everybody can go home. See you tomorrow team!"

_9:00 A.M. Sakura's House_

"I can't believe tomorrow is Valentine's Day! I'm not ready!!!!" Sakura said to herself while she was getting ready for the day's early training session. "I hope we finish training early enough so I can go buy Sasuke a present!" Sakura ran out of her house so she wouldn't be late.

_9:00 A.M Naruto's House _

_RIINNNGGG RIIIINNNGGG RRIINNNGG… **SMACK!**_

"Unngg, It's too early!" Naruto said still half asleep. He crawled out of bed and looked at the calendar. "February 11th, hmmm, Valentine's Day is tomorrow. I know Sakura will love what I got her!" His eyes traveled over his wall to his clock. "9:00!!! I'm going to be late!!!!!" Naruto ran to his closet, changed into his normal outfit and walked into his kitchen. He grabbed a container of instant ramen and heated up the water. "Grrr, why does it take so long to heat up?!?!" _DING! _ The timer went off and he poured the water into the ramen container. He set the timer again, and waited. _DING! _Three minutes later, he opened up the container and began to eat. In a record time of 50 seconds, he had finished his breakfast and headed towards the park.

_9:30 Konoha Park_

"Man, and I thought I was late!" Naruto said annoyed.

"You were only 15 minutes late Naruto. Kakashi-sensei on the other hand is 30 minutes late so far." Sakura stated.

"Yea, so _far_.." Naruto said.

"Hello team! How are we all doing today?" Kakashi said as he walked into their training spot.

"YOU'RE LATE!!!!" Naruto and Sakura shouted.

"Keep it down idiots.." Sasuke mumbled

"Well aren't we just one big happy family?" Kakashi said sarcastically. "Today our training session will be cut short because I have some errands to do. I hope you don't mind."

"No sensei!" Sakura added a little too quickly.

"Is there something you need to do Sakura?" Naruto asked confused because of her quick reaction.

"Yes and it doesn't involve you so don't ask what!" Sakura said annoyed.

"You're wasting time…" Kakashi mumbled.

"Come on you guys, we only have a little while to train. Let's get started!" Naruto said anxiously.

They trained for about 15 minutes before Kakashi interrupted them.

" That's enough for today. I have to go do my errands now."

"Good bye sensei!" Sakura said as she ran out of the training area.

" What's her problem?" Naruto asked.

" How would I know idiot?" Sasuke replied.

_9:45 Konoha Flower Shop_

"Hmmm. What should I buy for Sasuke?" Sakura asked herself.

"How may I help you today?" A sales lady asked.

"Ummm. I'm looking for something for someone special for Valentine's Day." Sakura replied

" I think I have just the thing for you!" The sales lady said. She walked into the back room and came out with a bouquet of dark red and white roses.

"Is this what you were looking for?" The sales lady asked.

"Oh, it's perfect!" Sakura said happily. "How much is it?"

"Ten dollars." The sales lady replied. Sakura handed her the money and left the store. She rushed to her house to put the flowers in some water.

_11:00 Konoha Park_

_ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ…_**SMACK!**

"Hey! What was that for?" Shikamaru asked rubbing his sore head.

"WERE YOU LISTENING TO ANYTHING I SAID?" Ino yelled.

"…No…" Shikamaru replied.

"Geez. Why don't you just pay attention so I don't have to repeat myself? I was talking about how I don't think I'll be doing anything special for Valentine's Day." Ino said

"Weren't you going to ask Sasuke to go to that one festival they're holding on Sunday?" Shikamaru remarked.

"Why would I do that? I told you I was over him. Remember? You probably wouldn't since you _FELL ASLEEP WHEN I WAS TELLING YOU!_" Ino stated, annoyed.

"What made you decide to drop him so quickly? I mean, you were crazy about him for _so_ long.Did he bore you all of a sudden?" Shikamaru asked, slightly confused.

"Yea, I got bored with him, and I also got tired of his attitude." Ino declared.

"So…" Shikamaru started.

"So what? Why does my personal life matter to you?" Ino asked.

"It doesn't. Now go away so I can sleep some more." Shikamaru mumbled.

"Fine, be that way. I'll go have lunch with Choji, I guess." Ino snapped.

_11:15 Konoha Flower Shop_

Neji Hyuga walked quickly into the shop. He closed the door tightly behind him. "I hope nobody saw me.." He mumbled to himself. The only reason he was in here in the first place is because he was going to buy some flowers for a fellow genin he'd been thinking about constantly ever since Friday. He looked around the store trying to find a simple bouquet of pink roses but he wasn't having any luck. He didn't know why he couldn't get her off his mind. He guessed it was the way she danced that made him like her so much. She was so graceful, even on something as horrible as the square dance. Just as he was getting deeper into his thoughts, somebody interrupted him.

"Can I help you?" one of the sales ladies asked.

"Umm. Do you have any pink roses?" Neji asked in reply. He hoped to get out of the store as quickly as possible before anybody saw him.

"Yes, we do." The sales lady responded. "How many would you like?"

"I was thinking of buying a dozen or so.." Neji said quickly.

"Ok. I'll be back in one second." The sales lady walked into the back room. A few minutes later, she came out holding a bouquet of one dozen of the most beautiful roses Neji had ever seen. She would love them.

"How much are they?" Neji questioned.

" Ten dollars." The sales lady replied. He gave her the money and walked out of the store not realizing that Tenten and Lee were just walking by. He walked down the street and took the long road towards his house.

"Lee, did I just see what I think I saw?" Tenten asked.

"What did you see?" Lee said puzzled.

" Did Neji just walk out of the flower shop holding a dozen pink roses?"

"I think so." Lee answered. "Are you sure it was him?"

"Pretty sure. You think I'd recognize my fellow teammate who I train with almost every day. You'd think I would know what he looks like by now." Tenten said sarcastically

"Geez. I get it ok? Who do you think the roses are for?" Lee inquired.

"I don't know. I guess we'll find out soon enough since Valentine's Day is tomorrow!" Tenten squealed.

_11:30 Sakura's House  
_"I hope he likes the flowers I got him!" Sakura said to herself. She put the flowers in a glass vase and set them on the kitchen counter. Her house wasn't very exciting. It was just a small house on the opposite side of town of where the park and the flower shop were. It was about a forty-five minute walk from the training ground to her house. It took her longer today because she took a stroll through the forest on the way there. She liked to walk through the forest in her spare time. It was always a calm, peaceful environment.

Sakura sat down in her favorite armchair and thought about her day. She had been home for about 30 minutes when there was a knock at her door. She got up to go get the door. She opened her door to the one and only, Naruto Uzumaki.

"Hey, Sakura-Chan!" Naruto yelled as he walked inside.

"What do you need Naruto?" Sakura mumbled.

"Is it a crime to want to stop by and visit my Sakura-Chan?" Naruto responded.

"I'm not your Sakura-Chan…" Sakura stated.

"Yes you are. Do you want to go get some ramen?" Naruto asked.

"Sure. That sounds like fun." Sakura replied. "Should I bring some money?"

"No, I'll pay for it. Let's go!" Naruto rushed out the door. Sakura followed slowly wondering if he would ever change.

_12:00 The Hyuga Residence_

Neji sat at his kitchen table staring at the flowers he had bought earlier. He worried about the next day. How could he give the flowers to her without her knowing it was him who sent them? He thought about it for a while until he figured out a way, he could have somebody deliver them for him. But who? Naruto would tell her, Sasuke wouldn't want to, any of the girls would tell her and then pester him about it until he went insane, and he wasn't going to let Lee deliver them because he would say the flowers were from him. Who could he trust? He couldn't think of anybody.

"I've got it! I'll ask that one guy Naruto was talking about the other day. Wasn't his name Jiraiya or something?" Neji said to himself. "I'll have to ask Naruto where to meet this guy." He walked out of his house and walked to the one place he knew Naruto was going to be, the ramen shack.

"Isn't that Neji Hyuga?" Sakura asked Naruto as Neji was walking towards the ramen shack.

"Yep. I wonder what he wants." Naruto answered.

As Neji approached the ramen shack he saw a face he didn't expect to see.

What was Sakura doing here? Was she here with Naruto? He wasn't sure but he wasn't sure if he wanted to find out. He walked up to the seats in front of the shack and stood by Naruto and Sakura.

"Hey Uzumaki, do you know where that one friend of yours is?" Neji questioned.

"Who are you talking about?" Naruto asked, confused.

"That one guy you're friends with. With the white hair." Neji replied.

"Oh, do you mean Jiraiya?" Naruto inquired.

"Yeah, that's the guy." Neji answered. "Do you know where I can find him?"

"Last time I saw him, he was out by the lake. Why do you need to find him?" Naruto asked with a hint of suspicion.

"No reason." Neji said as he started to walk away. Naruto and Sakura watched him walk down the path towards the lake until they couldn't see him anymore.

"Wait, isn't Jiraiya that pervy sage?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah, I wonder why Neji would need to see him…" Naruto mumbled.

Neji walked into a small clearing surrounded by bushes near the lake. He looked around and didn't see anybody at first, he surveyed the clearing again and this time, he saw the head of a spiky, white haired male sticking out of one of the bushes. He had a pair of binoculars and was watching something on the other side of the bush.

" Are you Jiraiya?" Neji asked.

"SHHH!!" the man said holding up his index finger. "One second!" Neji stood there in silence waiting for the man to answer. Eventually, he climbed out of the bush and stood up.

"Sorry, it's just that the Kishimoto twins were swimming today and I couldn't miss that! What did you say again?" the man asked.

"Are you Jiraiya?" Neji repeated.

"Yes, why do you ask?" Jiraiya questioned.

"I've been looking for you. I need your help." Neji stated clearly.

"It depends on what you need me to do…" Jiraiya replied.

"Deliver something." Neji said quickly.

"Something like what?" Jiraiya asked.

"Some flowers." Neji replied.

"Ok, I guess I could do that. Who shall be receiving these flowers?" Jiraiya inquired.

"Sakura….Sakura Haruno…"

_9:15 A.M VALENTINE'S DAY Sakura's house_

"Hmmm, what should I wear?" Sakura asked herself. She was up bright and early today. She wanted to be the first girl to give Sasuke his gift and she had to be up early to do so. She looked in the mirror, she decided to wear her normal outfit. Just instead of wearing her ninja headband, she wore a green ribbon in her hair. She finally was satisfied so she walked into her kitchen, grabbed the flowers and walked out the door.

She found Sasuke in the forest, training, as usual.

"Happy Valentine's Day Sasuke!" Sakura said as she walked up to greet him. She didn't get a response. She didn't expect one, yet.

"Here you go Sasuke" Sakura handed him the flowers, a dark pink blush on her cheeks.

"What do you expect me to do with those?" Sasuke asked annoyed.

"Umm. Take them." Sakura replied.

" No thanks." Sasuke said continuing his training. Sakura was getting annoyed. Why wouldn't he just accept her gift? Why did he have to be such a jerk?

"You know what? You're just an arrogant asshole, you know that? You can't even accept a gift from a girl who's trying to cheer you up on Valentine's Day! Geez. Now, I regret even wasting my time trying to make you happy. Whatever. I'm sick of this crap." With that, she stormed off, leaving a very surprised Sasuke behind.

_10:00 A.M. Ino's House _

"Unngg. I hate Valentine's Day. Girls who have boyfriends flaunt them and girls who don't have boyfriends are depressed because they want one. It's a screwed up holiday." Ino said to herself as she ate her breakfast. " I wonder if Sakura is out chasing after Sasuke like she normally does."In reply, she got a very loud knock on the door. Ino stood up and walked over to her front door. She opened it to find a very red-eyed Sakura holding a bouquet of red and white roses.

"What happened to you?" Ino asked.

"I'll explain in a little while. Can I come in?" Sakura cried.

" Yeah, sure." Ino let her in and had her sit on the couch. Sakura sat on the right side while she plopped down on the left.

"So..what happened?" Ino asked.

"Well, I went to go give Sasuke these flowers and he wouldn't take them and he was being a jerk and…" Sakura replied.

"Whoa. Slow down a little bit. So Sasuke wouldn't accept your flowers? Is that it?" Ino remarked.

"No, then I told him off and now I regret it. Oh god, what did I do?" Sakura started sobbing again.

"Don't start this again! Sasuke's just a jerk. He doesn't deserve you. Get over him. I did and now my life is ten times better." Ino said.

"… So I should just drop him." Sakura stated. "So many years of trying to get him to like me and I should just drop him?"

"Yep." Ino said.

"I guess you're right. He obviously doesn't like me and I should stop trying." Sakura remarked. "Does this mean that we might be able to be friends again?"

"Yeah. I guess it does." Ino replied.

Sakura smiled and stood up. "Hey, thanks for everything. You're a great friend. I guess I'll see you later at the festival?"

"I'm not sure if I'm going. If I do go I'll see you there." Ino stated.

Sakura walked into the doorway. "Good-bye!"

" Bye Sakura." Ino said as she watched her walk away.

"Wow, that was crazy." Ino said to herself. She walked back to her kitchen table, sat down, and resumed eating her breakfast.

_1:20 Road to Jiraiya's House_

Neji walked towards Jiraiya's house with the pink roses in his left hand. Once he reached the perverted sage's abode, he knocked loudly on the door. After a few minutes it opened.

"Well.. if it isn't the Hyuga again. Have you come with my mission?" Jiraiya said sarcastically.

"Yes, you deliver the flowers to her house and tell her the message. It's not hard." Neji remarked.

"What is the message?" Jiraiya asked.

"It's on this paper." Neji said handing over a cream colored sheet of paper.

"Ok, it seems easy. When should I go?" Jiraiya questioned

"Now would work." Neji replied.

"Great." Jiraiya stuck the slip of paper in his pocket and grabbed the flowers. "I guess I'll start on my way." Jiraiya started walking down the path away from his house. Neji walked slowly back to his house. He stepped inside and shut the door behind him. He decided to take a quick shower to cool his nerves. He walked into the bathroom and turned the shower on to hot. Then he threw his clothes on the floor and stepped into the shower. He had a lot to think about. He hated waiting and having to wait until the festival to see if she got the note was going to drive him insane. He sighed. Today was going to be a very long day.

_1:30 Ino's House_

**_DING!!!_**

"Good, the brownies are done!" Ino said happily. She had been baking brownies for the past three hours. She had enough brownies to feed an army…or Choji. She was pulling the brownies out of the oven when Shikamaru walked in. At first he was speechless but after a few seconds he took action.

"You are coming with me." Shikamaru said grabbing Ino's arm and pulling her out of the kitchen.

"Where are we going?" Ino asked, confused.

"We are going to my house and you are going to explain why you've turned into Ms. Brownie Freak all of a sudden." He remarked.

"But the brownies! What should I do with them?" Ino questioned.

"Have Choji come over. We're going.. NOW." Shikamaru said forcefully.

"Ok…" Ino replied as Shikamaru pulled her through the front door.

_1:50 Sakura's house_

She had been sitting in the same place for two hours. Staring at the same spot on the wall. She was that bored. Sure she had gotten her share of Valentine's Day gifts. Lee gave her his normal lotus flower, the strange fanguys gave her that ugly bouquet of daisies and Naruto had some surprise for her later. It was probably a gift certificate to the ramen shack like usual. Just as she was wondering about his gift, she heard a knock on the door. When she answered it, she saw the face of a rambunctious yellow haired ninja.

"Hey Sakura-Chan! Happy Valentine's Day!" Naruto said, walking into her house.

"Hello Naruto, how has your day been?" Sakura asked.

"Pretty ok, I got one card, other than yours of course." Naruto said winking at her.

"Do you know who it was from?" Sakura questioned.

"Nope, it didn't have a name. But anyway, I brought you your gift!" Naruto said pulling out a medium sized box.

"Thank you Naruto! I wonder what it is?" Sakura opened the box and pulled out a small orange book. Sakura opened the book and looked inside. Once she saw what was inside, she got a look of shock on her face.

"Sakura-Chan, don't you like it?" Naruto asked, worried.

"Naruto, where did you get this?" Sakura asked still shocked.

"From Jiraiya! He says that all the girls he sees love them. I got it for free. It was a first edition! Isn't that awesome?" Naruto kept talking but Sakura tuned him out. She couldn't believe that Naruto had gotten her the first edition of Make Out Paradisefor Valentine's Day.

"Ok. I've got to go, Sakura-Chan. Will I see you at the festival?" Naruto asked.

"I'm not sure. Maybe." Sakura replied.

"Bye Sakura-Chan!" Naruto said as he walked out the door.

"Good bye Naruto." She shut the door after he left. Wow. What a weird Valentine's Day this has been.

_2:00 The Hyuga Residence  
_ Neji stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. He walked over to his mirror and stared at his reflection. He hoped that Jiraiya had delivered the flowers to the right house. The festival started in two hours and he hoped he would see her there. He walked out of the bathroom and into his room. He grabbed his normal outfit (he had many of the same shirt and pants so he wouldn't have to wash them everyday.) and threw it on. Neji looked through his closet. He noticed that he didn't have any nicer clothing to wear to the festival. The Hyuga decided to go to the small clothing shop in town to buy an outfit for later. He grabbed his wallet and headed out the door to the shop.

_2:10 Outside Shikamaru's house_

"Shit. Where did I put the extra key?" Shikamaru mumbled.

"What did you say?" Ino asked.

"Nothing. Oh! I found it. Good." He put the key in the lock and opened the door. What Ino saw inside was not what she had expected. The house was a fair sized house on the side of one of Konoha's back roads. It had two floors (not including the basement). Shikamaru leaded her into a smaller room towards the back of the house. In it were a large black leather couch, a T.V., two LAZ-E-BOY recliners, and best of all, a surround sound system that techno geeks would die for. Shikamaru sat down on the couch motioning for Ino to sit next to him.

"So..what was up with the psycho brownie making?" Shikamaru questioned.

"Well, it all started this morning when Sakura had a emotional breakdown at my house. After she left, I thought about how lonely I was and I had an emo fit. That's about it." Ino replied.

"But what's up with the brownies?" Shikamaru asked.

"Well, I was going to drown my sorrow with them and become fat like those girls on that one T.V. show." Ino said.

"Girls…so troublesome." Shikamaru muttered.

"Whatever Shikamaru. Now what? I told you about my Betty Crocker moment. Is that it? Can I leave now?" Ino replied.

"Do you want to leave?" Shikamaru asked her looking straight into her eyes.

"Uh…um…" Ino couldn't find any words to say. His gaze held her there like a statue. She couldn't move.

"I take that as a no. Do you want to watch a movie?" Shikamaru questioned adverting his gaze.

"Sure. What movie?" Ino replied, flustered.

"Doesn't matter. You can pick one. They're on the shelf over there." He pointed to a small shelf in the corner.

"Ok." Ino stood up and walked over to the shelf. She didn't know what to pick. There were so many. _Meet the Parents, The Waterboy, _ _Wayne's World, Super Mario Brothers, Spaceballs.. _ She picked up the last one. She loved that movie; she could quote it front to back, back to front. Sakura used to watch it with her all the time.

"How about this one?" Ino asked, holding up the movie.

"Spaceballs? I didn't think you were the kind of girl who liked those kinds of movies." Shikamaru remarked, surprised.

"That's not the only thing you don't know about me." Ino said, flirting slightly.

"Oh. It isn't? Well. We'll have to see about that." Shikamaru stated. He stood up and put the movie in. He could tell that this Valentine's Day wasn't going to be like any other.

_2:40 Sakura's House _

Sakura was sitting at home thinking about the day when she heard a knock on the door. (She's been hearing a lot of those. I know) She got up to answer the door.

"Who is it now? It better not be Naruto again." Sakura mumbled. She opened the door to…a tall spiky, white haired male holding a bunch of pink roses. _What the fuck? _Sakura thought.

"Jiraiya? What are you doing here?" Sakura questioned.

"Are you Sakura?" Jiraiya asked.

"Yes…" Sakura said suspiciously.

"I have a delivery for you." He replied.

"Ummm..ok.." Sakura said.

"Dang it. What was the message again?" He pulled out a cream colored sheet of paper. "Ok. Here it is." He cleared his throat. " Shall we dance, Miss Haruno? A festival is a great place for dancing. Come to the festival tonight and see." He handed the flowers to her. She took them with a confused expression on her face.

"Can I have the note?" Sakura asked.

"Ok." Jiraiya said, handing the note over.

"Thank you Jiraiya. Good-bye!" Sakura said as he walked away. She was very confused. Who could have sent the flowers? The note wasn't signed and she didn't recognize the handwriting. She guessed that she'd have to go to the festival to figure out who her mystery man was. What a great thing to look forward to on her Valentine's Day! She couldn't wait to find out who it was.

_2:50 Ramen Shack_

Naruto sat on a bench by the ramen shack, eating nothing other than ramen. (Well, what would you expect? It was a ramen shack anyway) His thoughts went back to an encounter he had with Jiraiya earlier.

_Flashback_

_Naruto was walking towards the ramen shack when he saw his white haired sensei walking down the road holding a bunch of pink roses. His curiosity got the better of him and he walked over to Jiraiya._

_"Hey Jiraiya, who's the lucky girl who's going to receive the flowers?" Naruto inquired._

_"Sakura Haruno." Jiraiya replied._

_"WHAT?!?!?" Naruto yelled._

_"They aren't from me if that's what you're getting at." Jiraiya said, annoyed. _

_"Oh." Naruto said calming down. "Who are they from?" _

_"That Hyuga boy. You know, with the buckle, I think his name means screw or something. I can't remember." Jiraiya remarked. Neji? Why would he be giving Sakura flowers? Naruto thought. _

_"Well, I should get going." Jiraiya stated._

_"Ok. Bye!" Naruto said, walking to the ramen shack._

_END FLASHBACK_

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't come up with a reason why Neji would be giving HIS Sakura-Chan flowers. Neji couldn't be in love with her. That was just crazy. Almost as unlikely as Shikamaru asking Ino out. Like that would ever happen. Naruto was content with that and continued eating his ramen. Once he finished, he paid the chef and walked down the long road towards his house.

_3:00 Shikamaru's house _

"May the Schwartz be with you.." Yogurt said.

"I love this movie." Ino said as she watched intently. "Don't you Shikamaru?"

"Hmmm. This movie is very troublesome." Shikamaru mumbled.

"But I like it so deal with it." She said making her best pouty face.

"Don't make that face, it makes you look like an old lady." Shikamaru remarked.

"Let me guess, you don't like old ladies." Ino stated.

"Nope." Shikamaru muttered.

"Then what do you like?" Ino asked looking him straight in the face.

"You…." Shikamaru said before kissing her lightly on the lips. Ino was so shocked she didn't know what to do. She just stared at him like he had a second head.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me. It won't happen again." He said, blushing and looking away.

"No, don't do that. It's not that I didn't like it, it's just that I wasn't ready." Ino said sheepishly.

"So…" Shikamaru started.

"Can we try again?" Ino asked.

"I guess." Shikamaru said. He leaned in and kissed her fully on the lips. But she was ready this timeShe had been imagining this very moment in her brain for a very long time and the fact it was actually happening was a dream come true. She had never been kissed before but with Shikamaru, it was like a second nature. She had a natural instinct and it was very, very useful. After about two minutes or so, they had to surface for air and they broke the kiss. Shikamaru was blushing from his cheeks to his hairline. Ino wasn't any different.

"You do realize that now you have to go with me to the festival." Ino stated.

"Ok. It will be a drag though." Shikamaru said.

"Whatever. I'll be there so it will be fun! Anyway, I have to go get ready so…" Ino got up and walked over to his front door.

"I'll pick you up at 3:50?" Shikamaru asked.

"Sounds great. I'll probably be at Sakura's house so check there first." Ino kissed him quickly goodbye and practically skipped home. (But she didn't because that would just be tacky. :P)

_3:10 The Hyuga Residence_

Neji sat in his room making sure he had everything he could possibly need for the festival. He had his outfit, and a single pink rose (he took one out of the bouquet). He was as ready as he could get. He gazed into the mirror. He looked great. No. He looked hot. If she didn't like him when she saw him like that, she'd never like him. He was nervous. He didn't know if she would be there in the first place and if she was there, he wondered if she would be there with another guy. So many things could go wrong. He checked the clock. If he wanted to get to the festival the second it opened, he should leave now. (It's a thirty-minute walk.) He grabbed the rose and headed out the door.

_3:30 Sakura's house_

Sakura sat in her house watching the clock slowly tick forward. The festival started in 30 minutes and she was going to start getting ready at 3:40. The minutes seemed to move even slower now that she had something to look forward to. When she didn't think the clock could go any slower, she decided to go for a short walk. She opened her door and ran right into Ino.

"Ow…what the fuck Billboard-Brow?" Ino snapped. "Oh sorry, old habits die hard I guess."

"…What are you doing here Ino?" Sakura asked.

"Well, my house is kind of a mess, and I needed somewhere to get ready for the festival so I came here." She replied, picking up her things.

"Oh. Ok. I was just going to start getting ready. Could you help me find something to wear?" Sakura questioned, walking inside her house. Ino walked in and shut the door behind her.

"Sure. Let's get this party started!" Ino said, walking into Sakura's room.

"…." Sakura didn't say anything, she just followed Ino. She wasn't sure what to expect with her picking out her clothes. She'll just have to see if Ino could find something in her tiny closet that she could wear. Maybe these last 20 minutes wouldn't be as bad. At least, not with Ino around to help.

_3:40 Naruto's house_

Naruto had been looking in his closet for something to wear for about 20 minutes so far. He had to wear something nice, but different at the same time. He couldn't figure out what he could wear to make a statement but still stay within the boundaries of fashion. He could always wear his normal bright orange outfit, but that wasn't something you would wear to this special of an occasion. After a long time of debating, he decided on a pair of dark blue pants and a plain black T-shirt. He was happy with it so he grabbed his wallet, headed out the door, and started on his way to the festival.

_3:50 Konoha Park_

The festival was starting in ten minutes and Neji Hyuga was standing in line with all the other citizens who got there early. He wished that ten minutes didn't drag on as much as they did now. The wait felt like forever. He looked around. He didn't see Sakura. Neji wondered if she would even be coming. He stopped worrying and tried to relax. Hopefully, tonight would go the way he wanted it to.

_3:55 Sakura's house_

"So…what do you think?" Ino asked.

"Wow. I look…hot!" Sakura said shocked at her reflection in the mirror Ino was holding. Ino was a genius. An absolute genius. She should be given an award. Ino had picked out Sakura's outfit and did the hair and makeup. It took awhile but it was worth it. Sakura was wearing a low-cut pink and white kimono with cherry blossoms embroidered on the bodice and the lower part of the sleeves. She was holding a small, white fan and had a small pink clutch purse. Her hair was up in a bun towards the top of her head and it was fastened up with two brown chopsticks. For her shoes, she was wearing the traditional Japanese sandal; only her pair was a bit lower than the normal style. Ino admired her work from a short distance. She could take the plainest looking person and turn her into a work of art in less than an hour. Damn was she good. Sakura would amaze this "mystery man" she was talking about. Ino's outfit was similar to Sakura's. She was wearing a slightly higher-cut kimono that was dark purple and black. It had small red skulls on the ends of the sleeves and a barbed wire design around the waist. She had her hair down with a side part. She was wearing the same shoes as Sakura, and holding a small black and red fan and a dark purple clutch purse. They both weren't wearing much makeup. Sakura had on some light pink eye shadow on, some rose-colored lip-gloss and a little cover-up. Ino wasn't wearing any eye shadow but she was wearing some mascara. She had on some clear lip-gloss and a bit of cover-up. They were ready. Ino walked into Sakura's living room.

"Geez, when is Shikamaru going to get here?" She said impatiently. In reply, there was a knock on the door. "That's probably him!" Ino remarked. "Hey Sakura, do you want to walk to the festival with us?

"No, that's ok. You two go ahead. I still have to get something." Sakura replied.

"Ok. I'll meet you there then!" Ino said. "Goodbye!"

"Bye Ino." Sakura responded. Ino opened the door and saw just as she had guessed, Shikamaru. They walked off towards the park together. Sakura went into her room and grabbed the note Jiraiya had given her from her mystery man. She would have to find this guy. Sakura put the note in her clutch and walked out the door.

_4:00 Konoha Park_

Naruto stood in line to enter the festival. They had just started letting people in. He looked around to see if Sakura had gotten there yet. He didn't see her but he did see Neji. What was he doing here? He's not the festival type of person. Maybe he was meeting somebody….

Neji stood in line waiting to be let through the entrance to the festival. He surveyed the massive group of people but he didn't see Sakura. Maybe she wasn't coming. He was getting irritated and once he got into the festival, he sat on a bench and watched the group of people slowly dissipate until there were only a few standing outside the gate. He looked at the schedule the man at the entrance had handed him. There was going to be live entertainment all day. He checked the map on the opposite side of the paper. There was one area where all the live entertainment was. The whole section of the grounds was like a gigantic dance floor with a large stage on the far left side. He decided to get a soda then to go to the other side of the grounds to listen to some music.

Ino and Shikamaru arrived at the festival about ten minutes after the festival opened. Ino convinced Shikamaru to wait until Sakura got there before they went anywhere. About five minutes later, Ino's pink haired friend showed up.

"You guys didn't have to wait for me." Sakura stated.

"No we didn't, but we did. Anyway I want to see this mystery guy you told me about earlier." Ino replied.

"What mystery man?" Shikamaru asked, confused.

"Well, earlier, Sakura here got some beautiful flowers and a note from a secret admirer! Isn't it cute?" Ino told Shikamaru.

"Ino, it isn't that big of a deal.." Sakura remarked. _YES IT IS!!!!! _Her inner self yelled. _YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO FIND OUT ABOUT THE GUY!!!!!! I JUST HOPE HE'S HOT! _Sakura sighed. Her inner self could be very hormonal at times.

Shikamaru, Ino, and Sakura walked through the entrance and stopped off to the side of the path.

"Hmm. What do you guys want to do?" Ino asked.

"Sleep." Shikamaru answered.

"Besides that! Tonight is going to be great! We are going to do some hardcore partying, stay up all night, then sleep all day tomorrow. This is going to rock!" Ino said excitedly.

"I can't wait…" Shikamaru mumbled.

"Oh shove it, Shikamaru!" Ino complained.

"Hey! Stop it! I don't want to spend the rest of my Valentine's Day being Oprah!" Sakura interrupted. "Do you think we could do some shopping first?"

"Sure! Then I want to check out the music they have. I heard there is going to be some great bands this year!" Ino stated. They walked along the path running through the grounds and stopped at a perfume store.

"Ooh. Can we stop here?" Sakura asked. They checked out all the great smelling perfume and before they left, Sakura bought a bottle of vanilla scented perfume.

"Hey Shikamaru! Does this smell good?" Ino questioned, waving the bottle in front of his face.

"Yeah. It smells fine." He replied. Ino was happy with that answer so she bought the perfume. They went to a few more stores after that before stopping at a jewelry shop. At the jewelry shop, Sakura bought a necklace with a small pink flower on it and Ino bought a heart locket that had a picture of a deer engraved on the front.

"Ok. I'm almost broke. Let's go listen to the music!" Ino commented.

"Sounds like fun!" Sakura replied. And with that, they headed towards the opposite side of the festival.

_4:20 Ramen Shack_

Naruto sat at the ramen shack eating his 10th bowl of ramen so far. He was enjoying it when he noticed a faint vanilla scent went past him. He turned around to see Sakura, Ino, and Shikamaru walk past.

"Hey Sakura-Chan!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Hello, Naruto." Sakura replied.

"Do you want to eat some ramen with me?" Naruto asked, pointing to the chair next to him.

"Hey Ino, do you want to eat before we go dance?" Sakura questioned.

"Sure. If it's ok with Shika here." Ino remarked.

"Fine.." Shikamaru said, sitting down in the farthest chair away from Naruto. Ino sat down on the chair next to him, and Sakura sat next to Naruto.

"Umm. Sakura?" Naruto said blushing.

"Yes, Naruto?" She replied, confused.

"After this, when you go dancing, could I have the first dance?" Naruto asked sheepishly.

"Oh, Umm. I guess so." Sakura responded.

"Great! I'll eat to that!" Naruto said happily. "Hey! Can I get another bowl of ramen here?

"One moment please." The chef replied. "Geez, how much can this kid eat?" He mumbled.

After about ten minutes or so, everybody had finished eating and paid for the food.

"Ok! Let's go dance to some great live music!" Naruto said grabbing Sakura's arm and pulling her down the path towards the entertainment.

"Let's go Shika!" Ino said running to catch up with Naruto and Sakura.

"This is so troublesome…"Shikamaru said lagging behind the others.

Once they arrived, they saw a bunch of people sitting on chairs around the dance floor. They walked in just as the announcer told everybody the first live act.

"Hello everybody, and welcome to the 5th annual Konoha Valentine's Day Festival! Our first act for tonight is Simple Plan, singing their hit song, "I'd Do Anything". The crowd cheered. The band walked onstage, and some people walked out onto the dance floor. Ino and Shikamaru went to the center of the dance floor and started dancing. Naruto took Sakura's hand and pulled her to the side of the dance floor. Naruto put his hands around her waist as she put her arms around his neck. Slowly, her head fell onto his shoulder as they danced to the music.

_4:30 Side of the dance floor._

Who knew that one dance could make him want to claw Naruto's eyes out. As he watched him put his hands on Sakura's waist, the jealousy inside him was almost too much. Once he couldn't contain it any longer, he walked over to the ramen lover and the cherry blossom.

"May I cut in?" Neji asked. Naruto and Sakura looked up. Naruto backed off.

"I guess so." Naruto said as he walked away. Simple Plan finished up their act and the announcer came back on.

"Hello again everybody! Are you ready for the next act? Our next group is one you all should know. Welcome Snow Patrol!" The crowd cheered. The band got set up and started the opening measure of "Chasing Cars." Neji took Sakura's hand and pulled her close. She gave him a surprised look. He put his arms around her lower back and she closed her arms around his neck loosely. He looked down at her and looked straight into her eyes. He held her gaze for a while before she had to look away.

She didn't understand why his gaze was so terrifying. If it had been any other guy she would have been fine but something about him was so…amazing. She didn't understand why she had such strong feelings all of a sudden. It didn't make any sense to her. Her eyes traveled over him as he watched her. She was surprised at how incredibly hot he looked tonight. He was wearing a dark red dress shirt with black slacks and a pair of black dress shoes. She noticed something quite out of place. A pink rose was perched on the edge of his shirt pocket. Something about that rose looked familiar… then she remembered. Her mystery man had sent her roses that looked just like the flower in his pocket. Her hand went up to it and she fingered it curiously. Could he be the mystery man? Could Neji Hyuga, a guy she barely knows, be in love with her? It was a lot more than she could comprehend.

Neji watched her lightly touch the rose that was in his pocket. He knew she would notice it sometime. He put his hand over hers and pulled the rose out. She watched him grab her hand and close it around the flower's stem. He slowly pulled her close and she didn't put up any resistance. He leaned in and brushed his lips against hers. Seeing that she didn't fight against him, he kissed her harder. She let him do it. She didn't have a care in the world other than him. Only him.

Once he broke the kiss, she whispered, "You're him aren't you? You're my mystery rose giver."

"How could you guess?" He said before pulling her in for another kiss.

_4:50 Other side of the dance floor_

"Who knew that our Sakura would end up with him of all people?" Ino stated.

"Hmmm. Too troublesome." Shikamaru mumbled.

"I'll show you troublesome!" Ino challenged. She didn't give him any time to reply before pulling him in for a kiss. He didn't object, but he did take control. A few minutes later, Ino broke the kiss and pulled a happy Shikamaru off to go do something else. She decided to head towards the place where they were going to have the fireworks show. It was scheduled to start at 5:15 so she still had enough time to get there. She hoped that Neji and Sakura could pull apart long enough to see the show. It was supposed to be one of the best shows that Konoha had. Hopefully, it wouldn't be disappointing.

_5:00 Edge of the dance floor_

Who knew that the Hyuga prodigy liked the cherry blossom so much? The ramen lover watched them from the side of the dance floor. He was shocked at how they didn't seem to notice anything but themselves. He'd have to remedy that.

"HEY SAKURA CHAN!" Naruto yelled. Sakura and Neji broke apart.

She gave him an icy glare and said "Naruto, it better be important.." Sakura said coldly.

"Uhh. Uhh. Never mind!" Naruto said running away.

"I think the fireworks are going to start soon." Sakura said to Neji.

"We can go in a little while." He said burying his face in her neck.

"Neji…" Sakura started.

She was silenced by a quick kiss before Neji said "Fine, Let's go." He pulled her behind him.

"Wait, aren't the fireworks going to be shown over there?" Sakura asked pointing in the opposite direction.

"Yes." Neji answered.

"Then why are we going this way?" Sakura questioned.

"You'll see." He replied. After a few minutes, they reached a clearing near the edge of a cliff. Neji walked over to an area towards the edge and sat down. He motioned for her to sit next to him. She sat down and looked out across the gap between the cliff and the land on the other side. It was beautiful. They had a view of almost all of the fairgrounds.

"Wow.." Sakura was amazed. She had never seen anything like it in her life.

"Now do you understand why we came up here?" Neji asked looking her straight in the face.

"Yes, It's beautiful.." Sakura said in awe.

"Just like you.." Neji replied.

"That has to be one of the cheesiest pick up lines I have ever heard." Sakura said mockingly.

"Yeah, but it works doesn't it?" Neji countered. Sakura smiled and leaned in towards him.

"We'll have to see about that." She teased.

"I like that idea." Neji said mischievously. Sakura leaned in further and her lips met with his. After a little while, he slowly lowered her to the ground. This fireworks display was going to be very different this year….

_5:20 A small field near the fairground_

"Wow, those are beautiful!" Ino whispered. The fireworks had started five minutes ago.

"…What a drag…" Shikamaru sighed.

"Shut up Shika! You know you like being here, with me…" Ino said putting on her infamous; I'm going to pout until I get my way, look.

"Don't use that look with me!" Shikamaru teased.

"I could use worse, you know…" Ino countered.

"Like what?" Shikamaru responded.

"Like this.." Ino put on a face that only Shikamaru would ever see. The "I'm hot and I know it, and you are mine tonight look". (Shikamaru looked around. There was nobody around them, they were pretty much out in the middle of nowhere. He pulled Ino close and kissed her hard. She responded immediately. He had complete control and they both knew it. After a little while she got fed up with her inner emotions and she pushed him down. He fell right on his back and gave her a very confused look.

"I'm tired of you always taking over! Now it's my turn to lead you!" Ino said lowering herself down to his level.

"I like your impulsive side." Shikamaru said slyly as he pulled her down on top of him.

_6:00 On a cliff outside of the fair_

Neji and Sakura were lying on the ground looking at the sky. Sakura had her head on his chest and Neji had his arm around her shoulders.

"What a beautiful view." Sakura said, gazing up at the sky. The stars were starting to come out since it was getting dark. She looked over at him and he returned her stare. The two were both caught in each other's eyes until someone snuck up from behind.

"So, Neji got his girl! I told you it would work didn't I?" Jiraiya said loudly.

"Shhh! Don't be so loud!" Neji snapped.

"Hey, I did your little mission so could you two do something for me?" Jiraiya asked.

"It depends on what it is." Sakura answered.

"Well, I need you to find Tsunade. Is that so hard?" Jiraiya questioned.

"Why don't you just do it yourself?" Neji didn't see Jiraiya's need for them to find her.

"If Sakura makes it seem like she needs Tsunade to show her something, then I can just happen to "have been in the area" if you know what I mean." He smirked mischievously.

"Fine Jiraiya, I'll do it. But could you leave us alone for a few minutes beforehand?" Sakura replied, annoyed.

"Great! Tell her to meet you at the bookstore, ok?" Jiraiya seemed very happy for an dirty old man like he was.

"Ok. Just go away now." Neji said bluntly. Jiraiya walked away towards the bookstore.

"I guess we should go find her. Then once we're done, we could stop at my place for a little while." Sakura said with a certain gleam in her eye. Neji just smirked and followed her towards Tsunade's house.

_6:10 Field outside of the fairgrounds_

Ino and Shikamaru sat in the middle of the field looking at the stars as they were getting clearer in the sky. Shikamaru had always loved watching the stars at night or the clouds during the day. He liked how they were always so carefree, just sitting in the sky for all to see.

"Wouldn't it be great to be a star?" Shikamaru thought out loud.

"Why would you want to? Aren't you happy being yourself?" Ino questioned.

"Mmmm. Being a human is so.. troublesome. You have to wake up every morning, go to school, do homework, take a bath,it's all such a drag." Shikamaru replied.

"Oh yeah, you have such a hard life Shikamaru! You just sit around and sleep all day." Ino said, annoyed.

"Yeah, but you aren't a lazy bum like me." Shikamaru joked.

"I've never needed to be. I'd always been training to become stronger than Sakura, or following Sasuke around like some lovesick puppy. I'm glad I found you Shika. If I hadn't I might still be stuck in that circle of hell." Ino said. She looked at him out of the side of her eye.

"Anyway, if I hadn't claimed you, _Temari_ might have sunken her dirty claws into you. I couldn't let that happen could I? She teased.

"…I am better off with you. I guess." Shikamaru stated.

"Good answer. Now shut up so I can look at the stars in peace." Ino remarked. She scooted over so she was right next to Shikamaru. She laid her head on this shoulder and he wrapped his arms around her neck. They both gazed up at the stars, each wrapped up in their own thoughts.

_6:30 Tsunade's House_

KNOCK KNOCK 

The door opened and the face of a confused Tsunade looked out.

"What do you want?" She asked.

"Well, I was wondering if you would like to go on a walk with Neji and me around the park.. I had a question I wanted to ask you.." Sakura answered.

"Umm. Ok.. Let me get my jacket." Tsunade walked into her house. After a few minutes, she came out holding a dark green, medium length coat.

"Let's go. The sooner we go, the sooner we get back." Tsunade mumbled to herself. She walked behind her part-time student and her lover. The evening was very nice. It was cool, and still slightly light out. It was a full moon and the stars were shining brightly. Tsunade had always hated Valentine's Day because nobody ever paid her any attention. Besides the perverts, they paid A LOT of attention to her. Unfortunately, it wasn't the attention she wanted. She guessed she'd have to take what she could get.

"Tsunade-Sensei?" Sakura tried to bring Tsunade back to the real world.

"What?" Tsunade asked in a fog.

"I asked you a question." Sakura replied, annoyed.

"What was the question?" Tsunade questioned. She noticed that the boy wasn't there anymore. Where could he have gone?

"I asked you what you thought of Neji." Sakura responded.

"He seems like a good guy. How old is he anyway?" Tsunade asked.

"22. Why?" Sakura wondered.

"Oh no reason. How old are you again?" Tsunade questioned, confused.

"21…" Sakura replied.

"Oh.. ok. Is that all you wanted to ask me?" She wasn't sure what Sakura was trying to get across.

"No there was one more thing…" Before she could say it, she was cut off by the loud voice of the super pervert of the village, otherwise known as Jiraiya.

"Hello, fancy meeting you here." Jiraiya said to Sakura, winking.

"Oh hello Jiraiya, what are you doing here today?" Sakura asked making it very obvious that she wasn't serious.

"I was walking down the street when Neji here saw me and said that I had to meet his new girl. I couldn't resist the chance to meet his mystery maiden!" Jiraiya said excitedly. Neji and Sakura knew he was making this all up but Tsunade had no idea.

"Wow, look at the time. I really should be getting home. " Sakura said, looking at her watch.

"Umm. I'll walk you home. Good bye Jiraiya." Neji called out, following the pink haired kunoichi towards her house.

"Good bye Tsunade-Sensei!" Sakura yelled.

"Good bye Sakura." Tsunade said, walking towards her house. "I really should be going." She said to Jiraiya.

"Allow me to accompany you." Jiraiya said in reply.

"Ok. As long as you are up to a good game of poker tonight!" Tsunade challenged.

"You're on!" Jiraiya replied, following Tsunade into her house.

_6:50 By Tsunade's House_

"Did you see that?" Sakura asked Neji as they walked away from the two sannin

"Unfortunately yes. Do you want to go back to the festival?" He replied.

"Briefly. I have to tell Ino that I won't be going home with her so she won't get worried." Sakura stated.

"Ok, make it quick." Neji said, following his pink haired lover. They walked back towards the fairgrounds. As they passed the music stage, they heard the words "Happy Valentine's Day" come over the speakers.

"Ooh I love this song. Isn't it by Outkast?" Sakura questioned.

"I think so." Neji answered.

Sakura walked out onto the middle of the dance floor. She swayed her hips and beckoned for Neji to come join her.

"Aren't we supposed to be looking for Ino?" Neji asked.

"We can find her in a second. Let's dance first." She continued dancing, trying to convince him to loosen up. He realized that he wasn't going to win so he stepped up to her and pulled her close. At first they were alone, but many other couples soon joined them. Sakura saw Naruto and Hinata walk off to the side and start dancing. _How cute.. _she thought. She also saw many other familiar faces. There was Lee and Tenten , Kiba and the local dog groomer, and Asuma and Kurenai. All of the other sensei where standing off to the edge watching since they didn't have a partner. Sakura noticed this and stopped dancing for a second.

"Hey Neji, would you mind if I danced with Kakashi-sensei once?" Sakura asked.

"Yes I would mind." Neji replied.

"_PLEASE_!" She pleaded, giving him her best puppy dog pout.

"Fine. But only one dance!" Neji said in defeat.

"Yea!" Sakura walked over to the edge of the dance floor to meet her sensei.

"Umm.. Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura said blushing.

"Yes, Sakura?" Kakashi replied, never taking his eyes out of _Make Out Paradise_.

"Would you like to dance with me?" She asked.

"Sorry, I was just getting ready to leave. Ask Iruka. He'll probably say yes." Kakashi replied.

"Oh ok. Good-bye sensei!" Sakura replied as he walked away.

"Damn.." She muttered under her breath. She walked up to Iruka.

"Hello Iruka-sensei!" Sakura said in greeting. Even though he wasn't her sensei anymore, she still called him that, kind of like a pet name.

"Hello Sakura. How have you been?" Iruka asked.

"Fine. How about you?" Sakura was happy to see him but she wanted to get to the point quickly. She looked at him, not listening to his reply. _Damn. Now I remember why he was my favorite of all of my sensei. _Inner Sakura said. Iruka looked hot. He was wearing a pair of black dress pants with a dark purple turtleneck.He noticed her staring and his face turned a shade of light pink.

"Is there anything else you wanted to ask me or are you just going to stand there and stare?" He questioned.

"Sorry. I was wondering if you would want to dance with me." Sakura replied, looking at her feet. Iruka looked surprised.

"Oh umm. I guess we could…" Iruka said. Sakura smiled. _Come on! I want to dance with the dolphin!!! HURRY UP!!!!_ Inner Sakura screamed. Iruka led her out to the dance floor. The song Dance Dance by Fall Out Boy was blasting from the speakers. They danced the whole song. Sakura danced a little more on the bad side than Iruka but otherwise it was a neck and neck battle. Once the song ended, Iruka thanked her for the dance and walked away with a strange expression on his face.

"Are you finished yet?" Neji came up from behind and put his head over her shoulder.

"Yea. Just let me tell Ino that we're leaving real quick." Sakura replied. She walked over to the edge of the dance floor where Ino and Shikamaru were standing.

"I hope you don't mind that Neji and I are going home right now." Sakura said.

"No, it's ok. Thanks for letting me know." Ino stated. "Are you having a good time?" She had one of those "I know what you did before and where you are going now and I want all the dirt later" looks on her face.

"Yes, I am. Don't worry. I'll tell you all about it tomorrow." Sakura replied with a smirk on her face. She started walking away to where Neji was standing.

"Good-bye Sakura" Ino yelled.

"Good-bye Ino" Sakura responded. She walked up to Neji.

"Let's go" She said, and they left.

_6:20 Side of the dance floor_

"Geez. It took her awhile to leave.." Shikamaru stated.

"Yeah, she's like that. She could be ready to go do something and then she gets distracted and it gets postponed." Ino replied.

"Sounds annoying. It would drive me insane if you did that." Shikamaru muttered.

"You're lucky I don't do that then. What do you want to do now?" Ino asked.

"I'd be happy if we just went home and slept." Shikamaru replied.

"I know you would be." Ino mentioned, "Can we dance once more before we leave?"

"I guess. If we have to." Shikamaru responded, walking towards the middle of the dance floor, pulling Ino behind him. They waited for the next song to start and then they began dancing. The song "Arms of a Woman" by Amos Lee was playing softly. Shikamaru and Ino slowly swayed back and forth with the music.

I am at ease in the arms of a woman 

_Although now, most of my days are spent alone_

_A thousand miles from the place I was born._

_But when she wakes me, she takes me back home_

_Now most days I spend like a child_

_Who's afraid of ghosts in the night_

_I know there ain't nothin' out there_

_But I'm still afraid to turn off the lights_

_I am at ease in the arms of a woman_

_Although now, most of my days are spent alone_

_A thousand miles from the place I was born._

But when she wakes me, she takes me back home 

_A thousand miles from the place I was born._

But when she wakes me, she takes me back home 

_I am at ease in the arms of a woman_

_Although now, most of my days are spent alone_

_A thousand miles from the place I was born._

But when she wakes me, she takes me 

_When she wakes me, she takes me_

_Yeah when she wakes me, she takes me back home_

_Yeah when she wakes me, she takes me back home.._

The song ended and Shikamaru and Ino stopped dancing and looked at each other.

"I've always liked that song. Just it's too damn short." Ino mumbled. Shikamaru didn't say anything; he just pulled her off to the side and pulled her close. He kissed her long and hard. She just went along with it until he decided to be like Jiraiya. Shikamaru's hand traveled down Ino's back until it stopped on her butt. Ino was surprised and angry at the same time, so she pulled away from him and started yelling.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?!?!?!? ARE YOU TURNING INTO JIRAIYA?!!?" Ino screamed.

"No.." Shikamaru mumbled "It's not that big of a deal.."

"NOT A BIG DEAL?!?! WHAT HAS GOTTEN INTO YOU!?!?!" Ino was so loud that everybody stopped dancing and turned to look at the blonde girl who was screaming her head off.

"You're making a scene, let's go home." Shikamaru said, pulling her away.

"Fine, just don't do that _ever again._" Ino replied.

"Ever again? That's just not fair." Shikamaru argued.

"Let me restate that. Don't do that ever again, in public. There you go." Ino stated.

"Good. Now, your place or mine?" Shikamaru questioned.

"Probably yours." Ino replied.

"Ok. Let's go then." He pulled her out of the fairgrounds and towards his house.

_7:20 The Hyuga Residence_

"Wow. Your house is amazing!" Sakura walked around, admiring everything within sight.

"It's not that exciting." Neji stated.

"Not for you! You live here everyday. I've never been here before!" Sakura replied.

"So what do you want to do?" Neji asked.

"Could we have some dinner? I'm hungry.." Sakura remarked.

"Sure, what do you want?" Neji asked.

"Could we have some onigiri? Sakura wondered.

"Do you know how to make it?" Neji questioned.

"Yes, it's very simple. Don't tell me that the Hyuga prodigy can't even make a simple batch of onigiri." Sakura joked. Neji blushed.

"So what if I can't?" He questioned.

"I'll show you. Okay, I need some white rice…" She proceeded to list off the rest of the ingredients. Neji pulled them all out of one cupboard or another.

"Ok now what?" Neji asked.

"Now you mix it together and then mold the rice into whatever shape you want it to be." Sakura replied. Once they had mixed all the ingredients together, they began molding it into shapes. Neji molded his into the shape of a cherry blossom, and Sakura made hers into the shape of a screw.

"Now, you eat it!" Sakura said happily.

"Ok.." Neji picked his up and took a bite out of it.

"This isn't bad.." He said. Once they were finished, they proceeded to make more. By the time they were done, they had made a deer, a pig, a fishcake, a butterfly, a dolphin, a bunny, a fox, and a cat.

"I think that's enough for now.." Neji said, looking at all the onigiri they had made.

"Ok, Now what?" Sakura asked.

"What do you want to do?" Neji questioned.

"Why is it always up to me? You decide something for once." Sakura insisted.

"Well, we could always watch a movie.." Neji started.

"Boring." Sakura interrupted.

"We could go for a walk."

"No."

"Read one of Kakashi's books?"

"Later."

"Play strip poker?"

"Sure."

That wasn't the reply Neji had expected. He had only said it as a joke but…

"Do you want to deal or should I?" Sakura asked.

"I will." Neji replied.

"Ok." Sakura looked around. "What room are we going to play this in?"

"Probably my room.." Neji stated. "We don't want Hinata or my uncle to walk in while we're playing."

"Ok." She followed him towards his room. She noticed a pack of playing cards on the table and she picked it up. She walked down a long hallway and entered the last door on the left. When she walked in, immediately she noticed the huge king size bed on the right hand wall. He noticed her looking at it and gave her a funny look. She blushed and adverted her gaze. They sat down in the middle of the room and Neji shuffled the deck.

"Ok, let's get this game started." Neji said and he dealt the cards.

_7:50 Shikamaru's house_

Shikamaru got out his keys and unlocked the front door. When the door swung open, Ino and Shikamaru walked into a very cold house.

"Why is it so fricking cold in here?" Ino asked.

"I haven't started a fire yet." Shikamaru replied.

"Then go start one." Ino remarked.

"Ok. One second." Shikamaru walked into his kitchen and rummaged around in one of the drawers.

"Here we go." He pulled out a medium sized box of matches and walked into the living room. He opened the door to the fireplace and lit a match. He threw the burning match into the fireplace and watched as the log lit on fire. Instantly the room became warmer.

"Now what?" Ino said.

"What do you want to do?" Shikamaru asked.

"Do you have any board games?" Ino questioned.

"Ummm.. no.." Shikamaru answered.

"Any video games?" She wondered.

"Not many.." Shikamaru replied.

"Do you have a T.V.?" Ino inquired.

"Yes." Shikamaru responded. He walked over to a cabinet on the opposite side of the room. He opened it up to a large flat screen T.V.

"Anything in particular that you want to watch?" Shikamaru asked.

"Umm, can we watch MTV?" Ino questioned.

"Sure." He pulled a remote control out of a side drawer and sat down on the sofa in the middle of the room. Ino walked over and sat down next to him. He turned on the T.V. and switched the channel to MTV. The music video for Weird Al Yankovich's song "White and Nerdy".

"This is a weird song." Shikamaru stated.

"Yes it is, but I like it. Weird Al is funny." Ino remarked. "Have you ever heard his songs I lost on Jeopardy or FAT? They are so funny…" She kept going but Shikamaru tuned her out. _What did I get myself into?_ He thought. She noticed that he wasn't paying attention and stopped talking. She looked at him, puzzled. _If he can't stand me, then why does he put up with me anyway?_ She thought.

"Hey Shika, do you not like me or something? Am I just a pretty girl you keep to look nice around you?" Ino asked.

"No. What made you think that?" Shikamaru wondered.

"It's just that whenever you're around me, you don't seem to like it too much. I'm getting a bad impression of your feelings." She replied.

"It's not that I don't like you Ino, it's just that every once and a while I like having "me" time. If you get what I'm saying. I see you all the time so sometimes you can drive me insane. But hey, that's part of what I like about you." Shikamaru looked at her seriously. Ino thought about what he had said.

"If that was supposed to make me feel better, it really didn't work." She remarked.

"I know something that could cheer you up." Shikamaru responded to her remark.

"Yeah and what could that be?" Ino wasn't in the mood for his stupid remarks.

"Follow me and I'll show you." Shikamaru said mischievously. He got up and walked through the kitchen to a staircase. He went up the stairs and into a large room on the left. Ino followed him, wondering where he was taking her. When she walked inside, the first thing she saw was a large queen size bed on the right side of the room. Shikamaru closed the door and walked up to her. He leaned over and kissed her on the lips, his tongue demanding entry. She allowed it and he explored her mouth, memorizing every detail. When they couldn't breathe anymore, they broke apart long enough to take a breath and then they started again. Shikamaru lead her towards the bed and pushed her down onto the soft mattress.

"Shikamaru.." She started.

"Shhhhh." Shikamaru said, kissing her neck gently. He slowly moved down, until he reached the top of her kimono. He helped her remove the article of clothing and proceeded to remove his shirt. Shikamaru kissed her again and felt a hand on the top of his pants. Ino helped him remove them and he continued kissing her. He traveled from the bottom of her neck to her stomach. She gasped at his touch and was glad that he was the one she was spending the night with. He looked at her lovingly and then positioned himself. Ino was surprised when she felt him inside her. Her nails dug into his back deeper with every movement. When he was done, he rested his head on her chest and brushed a strand of hair out of her face. She looked at him and closed her eyes.

"I love you Shikamaru." She murmured.

"I love you too." Shikamaru replied. He pulled a blanket over them and fell asleep.

_8:30 The Hyuga Residence_

"Ha! I won another round Sakura." Neji said in triumph. "Looks like that kimono is going to have to come off." Sakura blushed and pulled off her kimono, revealing a light pink camisole and a matching pair of boy shorts underneath. Neji smirked.

"This round will wipe that smirk off your face, Hyuga!" Sakura challenged.

"Oh yeah? I bet it will.." Neji shuffled the cards and dealt the next round. So far, Neji had only lost his jacket, and his shoes. Sakura on the other hand, now had lost her kimono, shoes, purse and everything else, except for what she was now wearing. Neji saw a clear win in his future and Sakura could see that.

"Just deal the fucking cards." She snapped.

"A little sore from losing so much?" Neji joked. They continued playing.

"Finally! I won. Now that shirt has to go." Sakura said in victory. Neji removed his shirt revealing a well-toned chest underneath. Sakura couldn't help but stare.

"Weren't ready for that were you?" Neji asked with a smirk on his face. Sakura just glared at him and picked up the cards.

"I'll deal this round." She started to shuffle the deck but was stopped by a large hand covering hers.

"How can I be sure you won't cheat?" Neji asked.

"Believe me, I won't." She tried to continue shuffling the deck but she was distracted by Neji moving closer and kissing her on the lips. It was full of passion, lust and love and before long; Neji had led her over to the bed and pushed her down.

"If you won't cheat on your own, then I'll have to show you how. The game isn't fun without a few risks." Neji whispered in her ear. He bit her neck gently. Neji pulled her camisole over her head and threw it on the floor. He kissed her from her neck, down to where her underwear started. He pulled them down and continued kissing her, continuing further down. Sakura moaned in pleasure. Neji removed his pants and boxers and threw them on the floor. He sat up and positioned his member at her entrance. When she felt him inside of her, she had to bite her lip to stifle the scream of pain. Neji started out slow but proceeded to move faster, his thrusts becoming deeper and stronger. Once they both reached their climax, Neji withdrew himself and laid down next to Sakura. He sighed and rested his head on her shoulder. Sakura pulled the heavy blanket over them and drifted off to sleep.

The next day, 9:00 A.M. Shikamaru's house 

Shikamaru and Ino woke up to the loud yelling of both of their dads as they played poker in the living room.

"You can't make me believe that you actually had that ace!" Shikamaru's dad yelled.

"Shit." Shikamaru mumbled. He stood up and walked over to his dresser.

"What?" Ino said, confused.

"My dad is home from his mission early. To top that off, it is a Sunday, which is the day that is scheduled as both of our dads' poker game." Shikamaru replied.

"Yeah, that's great. What is that supposed to mean to me?" Ino asked.

"Ok. Your dad is here with my dad. We are here in my room. If either of them sees that you are here, both of us are going to be screwed. Is that clear enough?" He grabbed a pair of black pants and a green shirt out of his dresser.

"Crystal…" Ino got up and looked around. "Where the fuck is my kimono?'

"I don't know. Where did you put it?" Shikamaru looked through some of the piles of clothes on the floor.

"I didn't put it anywhere!" Ino panicked.

"Here, just wear this for now." He handed her an orange shirt and a pair of dark blue jeans. Ino put them on and stole a belt to keep the pants up. There was a knock on the door. Ino hid and the door opened. It was Ino's dad.

"Hey Ino, I know you're there so just come out and talk to your father." Ino came out of her hiding spot and looked sheepishly at her dad.

"Hey dad, what are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same question.." He looked at her. "By the way, were you missing something?" He held up her kimono. She blushed and took it from him.

"Make sure you have everything. I'll take you home." He walked outside and closed the door. Ino waited until she heard his footsteps at the bottom of the stairs.

"I guess that means I should be going." She walked over and kissed him goodbye.

"Bye Ino, I'll see you sometime soon. If my dad doesn't kill me first."

"Bye Shika." She grabbed her stuff and opened the door. She walked down the stairs to meet her fate.

"Let's go." Her dad grabbed her stuff and walked out the front door.

_9:30 Hyuga residence_

Hinata knocked on Neji's bedroom door.

"Neji..are you awake?" When she got no reply, she suspected he was still sleeping. She opened the door and walked into his room. The sight she saw almost made her drop the breakfast tray she was carrying. She saw Neji and Sakura both fast asleep in a jumble of limbs together. Sakura was curled up next to him and he had his arms wrapped around her. Hinata set the tray down on a table and walked out of his room. _Just wait until father finds out about this…_She thought.

Hiashi Hyuga sat in his living room with his daughter Hanabi. He was peacefully enjoying an early morning cup of coffee when his elder daughter, Hinata, walked in.

"Father… there is something you… should know." Hinata stuttered.

"What is it now?" Hiashi wondered.

"It's about Neji."

"Yes." Hiashi was wondering what he had gotten himself into yet again.

"You know my friend Sakura Haruno?"

"Yes.." Hiashi was wondering where she was getting at with this.

"Well, I..uh….you'll just have to see this for yourself…"

"What do I need to see?" Hiashi was getting aggravated.

"…Just go check on him in his room.." She left the room and Hiashi sat there, confused.

"I'll have to see what has gotten Hinata this worked up.." He stood up and handed Hanabi his coffee cup.

"Take this to Hinata, she'll wash it."

"Yes father." Hanabi left the room.

Hiashi walked out of the room and to the opposite side of the house. When he finally reached the hallway where all the bedrooms were, he stopped at Neji's door and walked in. There stood Neji dressed and ready like usual, but there was one difference. He saw a head of pink hair sticking out from under one of the blankets on Neji's bed.

"Who is that?" Hiashi asked.

"My girlfriend, Sakura Haruno." Neji replied.

"Since when?"

"Since yesterday." Neji didn't see what his uncle was asking.

"Why is she in your bed?"

"…Ummm…well…" Neji couldn't find a reply. His uncle wasn't surprised.

"Fine. Just don't get her pregnant unless you're planning to get married." Neji was surprised at what his uncle had said. He hadn't thought about marriage. He had never had to worry about it. Now that he was thinking about it, he had to make some tough decisions.

"Bring her down for lunch, I want to meet her." Hiashi left the room, closing the door behind him. Neji sat on the edge of the bed, deep in his thoughts.

"So I'm your girlfriend now, am I?" Neji turned around to see that Sakura was awake.

"You heard that?"

"Every word." She looked at him seriously. "What's wrong with you? You seem like you're in some puzzle and you're on the last level and you can't decide whether the answer is three or five." He thought about what she had said. That was just how he was feeling.

"Yeah. I guess that's what it's like for me right now. Well, you might want to start getting ready for lunch. We eat early, around 10:00 to 10:45 is when we start."

"Ok." Sakura got up and looked for something to wear.

"If you can't find something, I'm sure there is something, Hinata could lend you. Her room is the first one on the right."

"Thanks." Sakura left the room and wandered down the hall. Hopefully, Hinata had something that would fit for "meeting the parents".

_11:00 Hyuga residence_

"Ok. I can do this. I mean come on, it's only your uncle. Right?" Sakura was panicking.

"It's fine. Just pretend you're at a job interview. It's going to be the same type of thing." Neji reassured her.

"Ok." She took a deep breath. "Ok. I'll be fine." Neji showed her the way to the dining room and they walked in.

"Good, right on time." Hiashi said as they walked into the room. Sakura walked into the huge room and took a seat at the far right side of the table. Neji sat down across from her, next to Hiashi. Hinata sat next to Sakura and Hanabi sat next to Neji.

"Who are you?" Hanabi asked Sakura.

"I was just going to get to introductions." Hiashi interrupted. Sakura fidgeted in her seat nervously.

"First, what is your name?" Hiashi asked.

"Sakura Haruno." Sakura replied.

"How long have you been _acquainted _with Neji? He questioned.

"I guess you could say we've been dating for about a day now." Sakura stated.

"YOU TWO ARE DATING?!?" Hanabi shouted.

"Keep it down Hanabi." Hiashi scolded.

"Sorry.." Hanabi said sheepishly.

"Yes, we are. Are you almost done with the interrogation? Could we start eating soon?" Neji asked.

"Is there something you're hiding Neji?" Hiashi questioned.

"No, it's just that I'm sure Sakura is getting hungry and she doesn't enjoy being questioned like this." Neji was getting annoyed. He folded his hands and placed them on the table.

"It's okay, I really don't mind." Sakura insisted.

"That's all I needed to know. So are you two planning on getting married anytime soon?" He asked.

"MARRIED?! We've only been dating for one day!" Neji and Sakura yelled in unison.

"Well, from what Hinata saw this morning, it seems like you've known each other a lot longer than that." Hiashi said firmly. Sakura blushed and Neji looked surprised.

"What did she see?" Neji asked.

"Let's just say she saw you two in a very..awkward position for two people who have just started dating yesterday." Hiashi stated, seeing their looks of shock. Hanabi got a funny look on her face.

"What kind of awkward…OH…" Hanabi started but she realized what he meant before she finished. Hinata blushed a deep red and looked at the table. Neji glared at her and scowled.

"Enough of this. Let's eat!" Hiashi said. They all grabbed their silverware and started eating.

_1:00 Ino's house_

"But dad! It's not that big of a deal!" Ino argued.

"Not a big deal? I go to play my weekly game of poker and I find my daughter there with my partner's son. That's definitely not a big deal." Ino's dad wasn't in the best mood.

"Dad, it's not like I went out with some guy you don't know! You've known Shikamaru ever since we were put on the same team about ten years ago!" Ino defended.

"I guess it could be worse but still, as a father, I don't like the fact that my daughter is spending the night at a guy's house." He replied.

"Dad, you may not like it, but it's my choice what I want to do with my life. I'm going to do what I want whether you like it or not." With that, she stormed out the door and left her father standing in the kitchen with a surprised look on his face.

Ino walked down the street, complaining to herself.

"Who does he think he is? Trying to take control of my life.." She stopped and looked up. She saw her friend Sakura at the front door of the Hyuga residence. Sakura gave Neji a quick kiss and walked out into the street. Ino ran to catch up with her.

"Hey, you look flustered. What's up?' Ino asked.

"I just got "introduced" to Neji's family." Sakura replied. " It felt more like I was a criminal being interrogated by the police."

"That bad, huh? I know what you mean about parents. My dad found me at Shikamaru's house and I got a long lecture about how he doesn't think it's a good thing that I'm dating Shikamaru." Ino stated.

"That sounds like it was so much fun.." Sakura said sarcastically. They walked down the long road that lead into town.

"Where do you want to go?" Ino questioned.

"I say we should rent a movie, eat popcorn, and crash at my place tonight." Sakura said enthusiastically.

"Sounds like fun!" Ino replied. They walked further down the road until they came to a shop with a sign that said "Konoha Movie Rentals". They walked inside. It was a small shop with a counter in the back left corner. Other than that, there were rows and rows of movies on shelves that were placed around the room. Both girls walked straight towards the romance section of the store.

"This one looks good." Sakura stated, holding up the movie _Coyote Ugly_.

"I already saw that one." Ino replied. "What about this one?" She held up the movie _The Lake House_.

"I heard that one was good. Let's rent it." Sakura walked over to the counter and Ino placed the movie on the top of the counter.

"Is this all?" The salesman asked.

"Yes." Ino replied.

"That will be five dollars." Sakura paid the man and took the movie. They walked out of the store and started walking towards Sakura's house.

_10 months later Christmas Day_

"Neji, what is it? What's the big surprise?" Sakura asked as Neji lead her into a room. She had a blindfold over her eyes so she couldn't see where they were going.

"Almost there.." Neji replied. "Ok you can open your eyes now!" Sakura removed the blindfold and looked at where he had taken her. It was a large room with a Christmas tree in the corner. She saw all of her friends there.

"We decided to throw a party and not tell you. We wanted it to be a surprise." Ino explained.

"Oh.. But I don't have my presents for you guys here." She replied.

"We got those. See?" Naruto pointed under the tree. Indeed, all her gifts were there. The party lasted all night and many presents were received. Everybody was having fun. After a little while before everybody planned to leave, Neji and Shikamaru stepped out of the room for a few minutes. Everybody else in the room sat in anticipation of what would happen, but Sakura and Ino. They didn't know what the boys were planning. When they walked back into the room, everybody became silent. Sakura and Ino were getting suspicious.

"Is there something going on that we should know about?" Sakura asked.

"No." Naruto replied.

"Ok then." Sakura watched Neji and Shikamaru slowly walk over to where they were sitting.

"Sakura." Neji started.

"Ino." Shikamaru started.

"Will you marry me?" They said in unison, each pulling out a ring. Neither girl knew what to say. After a short pause and a lot of tears, both girls answered.

"Yes." Sakura and Ino replied. The boys gave the girls their rings and the girls hugged their new fiancée. All of their friends clapped and both girls put the day down as one of the best days in their life.


	2. Chapter 2

_Two years later 12:00 A.M._

"HYUGA!!!!! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!!" Sakura screamed. She was gripping Neji's hand so tightly; he had lost circulation about ten minutes ago. Neji sighed. This was one of those moments when he was glad he was male. Childbirth was never on his list of things to do. He watched his pink-haired wife straining in labor in the delivery room.

"It's all most over. Now one..two..three.. push!" The nurse instructed Sakura. Sakura gave one final push and it was over. The nurse picked up the baby and cut the cord. She handed it to the assistants and they cleaned it off and wrapped it in a blanket. They walked over to the very tired Sakura and handed her the baby.

"Congratulations. You are now the parents of a baby boy!" The nurse announced. She walked out of the room, leaving Sakura and Neji alone.

"Are you still going to kill me?" Neji asked.

"Maybe later. Now, what shall we name him?" Sakura looked at Neji.

"I don't know.." He thought about it. Sakura looked at the baby.

"How about we name him Tamagata?" Sakura suggested gently. Neji looked at her.

"Tamagata Hyuga, I like it." Neji looked at the baby. He was about to say something when the door opened. Hinata walked in.

"Neji, my father is here." Hinata said. Hiashi walked into the room.

"So what is the name of our new family member?" Hiashi asked.

"Tamagata." Sakura replied. Hiashi walked over to her side. Sakura handed him the baby and he cradled the baby.

"Welcome to the family Tamagata." Hiashi said.

_5:00 A.M. Ino and Shikamaru's house._

Shikamaru and Ino were woken up by the crying of their one year old, Akira. Ino got up and walked out of the room. A few minutes later, the crying stopped and Ino walked back into the room. She got back in bed and tried to fall back asleep.

"What time is it?" Shikamaru asked sleepily.

"5:15." Ino replied.

"Is he finally asleep?" Shikamaru questioned.

"Yeah. It took awhile to get him to fall asleep" Ino stated. Shikamaru wrapped his arms around his wife and pulled her close.

"Do you know that I love you?" Shikamaru asked, burying his face in her neck.

"Yes, Shikamaru." Ino replied. He did this every night.

"Do you love me?" He asked.

"Yes, Shikamaru." Ino answered. "Now go to sleep."

_A few weeks later. 10:00 P.M. _

Neji went to the hospital to pick up Sakura and Tamagata. When he walked in, Sakura was waiting in the lobby.

"Hi, honey!" Sakura said happily, kissing him in greeting.

"Hi, I missed you." Neji stated.

"Both of us missed you." Sakura remarked.

"Let's go home." Neji said, picking up Sakura's bag of baby stuff. They walked home to the Hyuga residence. When they walked in, they were greeted by Hiashi, Hinata, and Hanabi. Neji and Sakura walked into Tamagata's new room. Sakura placed him in the cradle on the far side of the room. Neji set the bag in there and followed Sakura one room over into their room. Sakura walked over to the bed and fell onto it.

"It feels great to be home." Sakura said.

"It's great to have you home." Neji stated. Sakura smiled and pulled him down next to her. He held her close and they stayed like that until they fell asleep.

The next morning 

Sakura woke up and rolled over. It was 6:00 in the morning. She went to roll back over and fall back asleep until something on the nightstand caught her eye.

It was a pink rose.

I hope you liked this. It's my first fanfic so… Please review! 


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